Pilot selected · development starts Q3 2026
Everything about the digital euro, for the people who have to build it.
An independent engineering and business reference for the digital euro — DESP, DEAN, holding limits, the rulebook and the pilot — written for PSPs, banks and the developers who will integrate it.
What is the digital euro
A complete, plain-English guide: what it is, what it isn't, and why it matters for the people who have to build it.
Read moreWhat PSPs must do
Obligations, certification, and the build-vs-buy decision for banks and payment institutions preparing to distribute.
Read moreThe technology
DESP, JSON REST APIs, ISO 20022, CPACE for NFC — the architecture, and why it is deliberately not a blockchain.
Read moreFree tool
DEAN validator
Check a Digital Euro Account Number — structure and ISO 7064 MOD 97-10 check digits — and see exactly which part is wrong when it fails. Generates test DEANs too. Runs entirely in your browser.
Open the validator18 characters. Positions 5–18 are the BEAN.
Latest articles
All articles- Pilot
36 PSPs selected for the digital euro pilot — what it means
On 14 July 2026 the ECB selected 36 PSPs from 57 applications across 19 countries for the digital euro pilot. What it signals — and what it doesn't.
- For PSPs
Digital euro — should your bank build or buy?
The digital euro is mandatory for credit institutions and free for individuals. That makes build vs buy a cost problem, not a product decision.
- Identifiers
What is a DEAN? The digital euro account number
A DEAN is the digital euro's account number — 18 characters, an EU prefix, IBAN-family check digits, an indicator digit and a 13-digit serial.
- Basics
Can I use my crypto wallet for the digital euro?
No — the digital euro isn't crypto and isn't on a blockchain, so a wallet like MetaMask or Ledger can't hold it. Here's how you'll actually access it.
Get digital euro updates
Occasional briefings on the rulebook, the pilot and what PSPs must do. No spam.